Pokemon XY and Z Re-Write: Ash's Kalos League Full Battles
by Pikadavid14
Summary: This is a re-write of Ash's Pokémon battles against Sawyer and Alain in the Kalos League.
1. Episode 34 - Analyis Versus Passion!

**Episode 34: _Analysis Versus Passion!_**

 **A.N.: Welcome to my very first Pokémon fanfiction, in which I'll re-write the Full Battles between Ash and Sawyer and Ash and Alain in the Kalos League. These two battles were okay for the most part, in my opinion, but there were some things that I feel could be fixed. I present to you all "Pokémon XY and Z Episodes 34, 35, 37 and 38 Re-Write". Apologizes if the dialogue seems rather repetitive, I guess that's just what happens when you write stories about Pokémon battles. Please enjoy the battles and review and favorite if you want.**

 **DISCLAIMER: THE POKEMON GAMES, ANIME, AND THEIR CHARACTERS BELONG TO NINTENDO, GAME FREAK, AND THE POKEMON COMPANY.**

* * *

 _Intense battle action is a hallmark of the Kalos League! After many hard-fought battles, Ash has managed to make it to the semi-final round, and Goodra has rejoined his team for the full battle ahead. Now, with a six Pokémon line-up, Ash is about to fulfill a promise and face off against his rival, Sawyer._

* * *

After watching Alain defeat Remo and move on to the final round, the audience was cheering, waiting for the battle between Ash and Sawyer to begin. The scoreboard for the battle had just been set up. At the moment, both trainers were preparing for the battle in their respective waiting areas: Ash doing so by giving all of his Pokémon a pep talk, and Sawyer doing so by reviewing his notes. In the stands, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor waited for the battle to start. "Ash is battling Sawyer. I'm getting kind of nervous," said Bonnie.

"Clemont, didn't you tell me Ash lost to Sawyer awhile back?" Asked Shauna.

"I did," replied Clemont. "Never count Sawyer out."

"Wait till you see this," said Tierno. "Their battling styles are different. Still, he reminds me of Ash. It's like the same sort of battle vibe is inside both of them."

"Wow. You think so?" Asked Trevor.

"Sawyer's been analyzing Ash's style in order to catch up to him," said Clemont. "I'd say that's exactly what you're referring to, Tierno."

Meanwhile, in the VIP seats, Professor Sycamore and Champion Diantha were sitting together to observe the battle. "Interesting," said Professor Sycamore, "a match between a trainer like Ash, who battles with passion, and Sawyer, who operates using cool and calm analysis."

"In a way, they're exact opposites," added Diantha. "I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of battle this will be."

"Yeah," agreed Professor Sycamore.

"Now, the second battle of the semifinal round and our trainers are making their entrances," said the announcer as Ash and Pikachu entered the arena from one tunnel while Sawyer entered the arena from the other tunnel. The audience cheered for the two trainers. "All right Ash! Win it!" Called Tierno.

"You can do it!" Called Bonnie. Just then, Clemont's Chespin came out of its Poke Ball and cheered as well.

Elsewhere in the stadium, Alain walked out onto a balcony to watch the battle and see who he would face in the finals.

Also, Malva arrived at the arena to commentate on the battle for people watching at home. Of course, the Team Rocket Trio were her camera crew. "Get a shot of their faces first," Malva ordered.

"Posthaste!" Panted James as he, Jessie, and Meowth caught up to Malva while carrying the filming equipment.

"I'm too tired to take head shots of a completely clueless twerp," groaned Jessie. "We should be filming my radiant beauty.

"Chin up," encouraged Meowth as he and James each put a hand on Jessie's shoulders. "Just a little more stuff. This is the last battle of the livelong day." Jessie only groaned again.

Back in the middle of the arena, Sawyer and Ash were waiting to start the battle. "It's time," said Sawyer as he thought back to the last time he saw Ash, which was after the latter lost to the Snowbelle City Gym. " _It's all going to work out,_ " Sawyer had thought as he left the group. " _The person I admire so much will win in the end. And I'll be waiting."_

"I wanna beat Ash," said Sawyer to himself. "I've just gotta beat him. And I will."

"All right," said Ash to himself. "Bring it on. This one's mine."

Eventually, the battlefield was being raised. "And now for the battlefield…" began the announcer. The field was revealed to be a desert with a few hills on either side. "It's badlands!"

The referee took his place in the center of the field, atop one of the hills. "Ash versus Sawyer: competing head-to-head in our next semifinal battle," he began. "Each trainer will have the use of six Pokémon and substitutions are allowed. When all six of either trainer's Pokémon are unable to continue, the battle will be over. When three Pokémon on one side are unable to continue, the battlefield will change. Trainers, begin!"

"Hawlucha. I choose you!" Said Ash as he threw out his first Poké Ball. However, instead of appearing on the battlefield, Hawlucha appeared on the ledge in front of the scoreboard wearing a mask and cape. "Hawlucha!" Cried Hawlucha as it made its appearance.

Needless to say, everyone in the audience were amazed as Hawlucha jumped off of the ledge and soared down onto the battlefield. "Lucha!" Cried Hawlucha upon landing.

"Hawlucha?" Asked Clemont, as if questioning if he was seeing things or not.

"It looks different," added Bonnie.

"Wow, you're right," replied Clemont.

Serena could only smile. She knew why Hawlucha looked different. "See yesterday…" Serena began, and she explained how Hawlucha had approached her and asked her to make a costume for it to enter the battle in.

"That's dramatic," commented Clemont.

"When you enjoy battling as much as Hawlucha does, you have to make a great entrance," explained Serena. "That's important."

"Yeah," agreed Bonnie. "All right, Hawlucha. Looking good," she called. Dedenne agreed with her.

Back on the battlefield, Hawlucha threw off the costume before striking various poses. "So, Hawlucha's gonna be your first Pokémon, huh?" Asked Sawyer.

"Yeah," said Ash, "I promised Hawlucha it could battle first."

"Lucha!" Cried Hawlucha.

"Then I'm gonna use Slaking," said Sawyer as he threw out his first Poké Ball.

"Slak," yawned Slaking upon entering battle.

Up in the audience, Bonnie was gushing at it. "It's so cute!" She cried.

Serena checked the Pokédex for information on Slaking. " _Slaking, the lazy Pokémon. Slaking lies down most of the time. It gets up and moves only when there is no more grass close by to eat."_

"I want a hug!" Cried Bonnie, still gushing.

"That's a Slaking," said Tierno, in surprise.

"Slaking has quite a disadvantage against Hawlucha, though," observed Clemont. "I wonder what Sawyer's planning."

"Ash chooses Hawlucha as his first Pokémon while Sawyer chooses Slaking as his first Pokémon," said the announcer as Hawlucha and Slaking appeared on the scoreboard.

Finally, the announcer said, "All right, battle begin!"

"Let's go, Hawlucha. Make the first move. Use Karate Chop!" Called Ash.

"Cha!" Hawlucha jumped into the air. "Ha!" Its claw and wing glowed white as it descended towards Slaking.

"Slaking, counter that with Hammer Arm!" Called Sawyer.

"Slak!" The arm that Slaking wasn't using to hold its head up glowed white and Hammer Arm collided with Hawlucha's Karate Chop, knocking the Wrestling Pokémon back across the field.

"Lucha," grunted Hawlucha as it landed.

"Now, use High Jump Kick!" Called Ash.

"Cha-ha!" Hawlucha leapt into the air, soared over Slaking, and bounced off one of the hills. "Ha!" As it did so, Hawlucha's leg glowed white. Then, Hawlucha hit Slaking with its powerful Fighting-Type attack.

In response, Slaking only gave a big yawn. "Haw-cha?" Hawlucha was wondering why Slaking didn't fight back this time. Even the announcer was confused. "Really?" He asked. "While Hawlucha aggressively attacks, Slaking's doing nothing at all!" Slaking just kept lying there scratching its stomach.

"So, why didn't Slaking counter Hawlucha's attack this time?" Asked Serena.

"That's because of its ability, Truant, which causes Slaking to only want to attack once every two times that Hawlucha attacks," explained Clemont.

"Use X-Scissor!" Called Ash.

"Hawlucha!" Hawlucha ran forward towards Slaking before jumping into the air. Its claws glowed light blue. Then, as it was diving towards Slaking, Hawlucha put its claws together in front of it to form a light blue X-shaped energy with a magenta outline. The attack hit Slaking in the chest, but once again, Slaking seemed unfazed.

"Now, Slaking, use Hyper Beam!" Called Sawyer.

Slaking opened its mouth and a purple-black ball of energy formed in front of it. Then, Slaking fired a purple-black beam of energy at Hawlucha. Hawlucha had no way of dodging the attack and could do nothing as Hyper Beam hit it, causing an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Hawlucha was still standing, but it looked weaker than before.

"Whenever Hawlucha's having a battle, it gets worked up by trading blows with its opponent," observed Clemont. "But if its opponent barely moves…"

"… Things get difficult," finished Serena. Clemont nodded in agreement.

"Just keep attacking," called Tierno. "If it's not gonna move, you'll eventually win the match."

"Now, Karate Chop!" Called Ash.

"Hawlucha!" Hawlucha's claw and wing glowed white and it took off running towards Slaking. It dealt numerous blows to Slaking using Karate Chop, but Slaking didn't move an inch and only yawned afterwards.

"Hawlucha, use Karate Chop again!" Called Ash

"Lucha!" Hawlucha's claw and wing glowed white as it soared above Slaking, hit it, flew away, rebounded off a hill, and hit Slaking again before returning to its side of the field. "Hawlucha unleashes fierce attacks. Slaking must be feeling that," said the announcer. "Slaking is unfazed." Slaking was scratched up from Hawlucha's attacks, but it didn't seem bothered one bit.

"I think Slaking's just acting tough," said Tierno.

"Tough? What do you mean?" Asked Bonnie.

"Now, Slaking, use Slack Off!" Called Sawyer.

"Slaking." Slaking gave a big yawn as all of the scratches on its body glowed white and disappeared just before its body glowed green for a second.

"Right now?" Questioned Clemont.

"Huh?" Asked Serena and Bonnie.

"Slack Off is a move that allows the user to recover its strength simply by relaxing," explained Clemont.

"Even so, if Slaking keeps on taking hits like that, it will eventually lose," added Trevor.

"I wonder what Sawyer's strategy is," said Serena, who looked rather worried.

" _No doubt about it,_ " thought Ash. " _Sawyer's got something up his sleeve. So, I've gotta beat him before he acts on it!_ "

"High Jump Kick, go!" Called Ash.

"Cha!" Hawlucha leapt into the air, its leg glowing white.

"Slaking, Counter. Let's go!" Called Sawyer.

"Slaking!" Slaking stood up and was covered in a multi-colored aura. "King!" Right as Hawlucha was about to hit it with High Jump Kick, Slaking punched Hawlucha, sending it flying across the battlefield.

Ash gasped as he saw Hawlucha fall to the ground in front of him. "Hawlucha, are you okay?" Asked Ash.

"Haw-lucha," grunted Hawlucha as it stood up. Hawlucha had taken a lot of damage, but not enough to be taken out of the battle.

"Great!" Said Ash. "Now, use X-Scissor!"

"Haw-cha!" Hawlucha jumped into the air and its claws glowed light blue. Then, as it was diving towards Slaking, Hawlucha put its claws together in front of it to form a light blue X-shaped energy with a magenta outline. The attack hit Slaking in the chest, but Slaking still didn't look like it had been hurt.

"Lucha?" Hawlucha was surprised by how little it's opponent had been reacting to all of its powerful attacks.

" _Slaking's gotta be feeling Hawlucha's attacks,_ " thought Ash. "All right, Flying Press!"

Hawlucha jumped into the air and became outlined in white. "Lucha!" Hawlucha spun around to increase its speed and dove towards Slaking. Hawlucha's signature move collided with Slaking, resulting in an explosion where Slaking was laying.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha landed safely back on its side of the field, and when the smoke cleared, Slaking was sprawled out on the ground with swirls in its eyes, meaning it had finally fainted from Hawlucha's attack.

"Slaking is unable to battle," declared the referee. "Hawlucha's the winner!"

The audience cheered at Hawlucha's victory as the scoreboard changed to show Slaking's defeat. "Hawlucha had the upper hand for most of that battle, and even with powerful attacks like Hyper Beam and Counter, Slaking still couldn't defeat Hawlucha," said the announcer.

"All right!" Said Ash.

"Pika!" Added Pikachu

Sawyer returned Slaking to its Poké Ball. "You were amazing, Slaking," he said. "Even though you didn't defeat Hawlucha, you still gave your all."

"So, that's what you were after all along," said Ash to Sawyer, having figured out what he was trying to accomplish by using Slaking first.

"I always thought about using Slaking against Hawlucha," replied Sawyer. "I knew Hawlucha wouldn't have an easy time if its opponent didn't defend."

"I'm impressed," said Ash. "You took Hawlucha's battle style and used it against us. Luckily, Hawlucha was able to fight back and win after taking that Counter."

"Who would've thought of such a tactic?" Asked Serena.

"Looks like Sawyer thought through his strategies much more than we anticipated," said Clemont.

"Now, who will be Sawyer's second Pokémon?" Asked the announcer.

"Salamence, let's go," said Sawyer as he threw out his second Poké Ball.

"Sal!" Salamence appeared, already flying in the air. It quickly landed on the ground and prepared to battle.

"Sawyer's second Pokémon is a Salamence," said the announcer as Salamence appeared on the scoreboard. "How will it fare against Hawlucha?"

Serena checked the Pokédex for information on Salamence. " _Salamence, the Dragon Pokémon. Dreams of flight caused a shift in its cellular structure. When it evolved, Salamence finally grew wings._ "

"So, Shelgon evolved into Salamence, huh?" Commented Ash. "Great."

"Thanks, Ash," said Sawyer. "It's a lot stronger now, too."

"Salamence, use Incinerate!" Called Sawyer.

"Sal-a!" Salamence charged up a fireball in front of its mouth, and then launched multiple fireballs at Hawlucha.

"Dodge it and use High Jump Kick!" Called Ash.

"Hawlu!" Hawlucha ran forward across the field, dodging all of the incoming fireballs. Hawlucha leapt high into the air. "Cha!" Hawlucha's leg glowed white and it struck Salamence in between its wings.

"Good job, Hawlucha," said Ash as Hawlucha landed in front of him. "Now, use Flying Press!"

Hawlucha jumped into the air and became outlined in white. "Lucha!" Hawlucha spun around to increase its speed and dove towards Salamence.

"Salamence, counter that with Dragon Rush!" Called Sawyer.

"Saaaaal!" Streams of light blue aura started to form around Salamence's body. Then, those streams grew to cover most of its body, with a black shadowy aura forming inside the light blue one. Salamence flew towards Hawlucha. The two Pokémon collided center-field in an explosion.

Salamence flew out of the smoke looking perfectly fine. However, Hawlucha fell to the ground, unconscious. "Hawlucha, no!" Cried Ash.

Clemont and Bonnie gasped. "Hawlucha!" Cried Bonnie.

"Dedenne!" Cried Bonnie's Dedenne.

When the dust around Hawlucha cleared, everyone could see Hawlucha sprawled out on the ground with swirls in its eyes. "Hawlucha is unable to battle," declared the referee. "Salamence is the winner!"

The scoreboard updated to show Hawlucha's defeat. "Despite doing very well against Slaking, Hawlucha wasn't able to take on Salamence. In one shot, it's out of contention," said the announcer.

Before Ash could return Hawlucha to its Poké Ball, Noivern came out of its own Poké Ball to check on Hawlucha.

"Noivern!" Cried Noivern upon seeing Hawlucha fainted.

"Lucha…" Hawlucha slowly opened its eyes and looked up to see Noivern. "Haw-Hawlucha," said Hawlucha to Noivern.

"Don't worry, Hawlucha, Noivern and I will get Salamence back for that," said Ash.

"Lucha!" Cried Hawlucha. Hawlucha and Noivern did a fist bump before Hawlucha was returned to its Poké Ball.

"Vern!" Cried Noivern, glaring at Salamence.

"All right, Noivern, are you ready to go?" Asked Ash.

"Noi," replied Noivern, nodding.

"Then let's show them how it's done," said Ash.

"Vern," replied Noivern.

"Ash has sent Noivern in as his second Pokémon," said the announcer as Noivern appeared on the scoreboard. "Both trainers are using Dragon-Types."

"Noivern, use Supersonic!" Called Ash.

"Noi-vern!" Noivern flew into the sky and released sound waves from its ears towards Salamence.

"Salamence, Protect!" Called Sawyer.

"Sal!" A turquoise force field appeared in front of Salamence, protecting it from Noivern's Supersonic.

"Noivern attempts to strike first with Supersonic, but it gets blocked by Protect," said the announcer.

"Noivern, use Dragon Claw!" Called Ash.

"Vern!" A light-green aura formed around Noivern's hands, which then turned into a claw-like shape. Noivern flew towards Salamence.

"Dragon Rush, go!" Called Sawyer.

"Saaaaal!" Streams of light blue aura started to form around Salamence's body. Then, those streams grew to cover most of its body, with a black shadowy aura forming inside the light blue one. Salamence flew towards Noivern.

The two Pokémon collided above the center of the battlefield, both of them trying to push back against the other's attack. Ultimately, Salamence pushed Noivern backwards, causing an explosion that launched Noivern into air.

"Vern!" Noivern recovered rather quickly from the attack.

"Noivern, you okay?" Asked Ash.

"Vern," replied Noivern, saying that it was okay.

"Incinerate!" Called Sawyer.

"Sal-a!" Salamence charged up a fireball in front of its mouth, and then launched multiple fireballs at Noivern.

"Dodge it and use Boomburst!" Called Ash.

"Vern." Noivern managed to dodge all of the fireballs before getting close to Salamence.

"Noi!" The inside of Noivern's ears glowed white and a ball of white light appeared in front of its ears, then a blast of powerful sound waves came out from the white ball and hit Salamence.

"Dragon Tail, go!" Called Sawyer.

"Sal!" While Noivern was close to Salamence after using Boomburst, Salamence's tail glowed a green aura around it and gained a scale-like pattern. Salamence attempted to hit Noivern with its tail.

"Dodge it and use Dragon Claw!" Called Ash.

"Noi-vern!" Noivern dodged Salamence's Dragon Tail, and a light-green aura formed around Noivern's hands, which then turned into a claw-like shape. Noivern struck Salamence in the back with its attack, causing the Dragon Pokémon to start to fall out of the air.

In the audience, Ash's friends cheered. "Salamence used the flames from Incinerate to lure Noivern in so it could strike with Dragon Tail, but Noivern's speed allowed it to dodge the attack," observed Clemont.

"Way to go, Noivern!" Called Ash as the Sound Wave Pokémon returned to its side of the field.

"Incinerate!" Called Sawyer.

"Sal-a!" Salamence charged up a fireball in front of its mouth, and then launched multiple fireballs at Noivern.

"Dodge it and use Supersonic!" Called Ash.

"Noi!" Noivern dodged all of the fireballs and released sound waves from its ears towards Salamence. This time, Salamence couldn't protect itself, so it ended up being confused because of the Supersonic.

"Salamence, no!" Cried Sawyer.

"Use Dragon Claw while it's confused!" Called Ash.

"Vern!" A light-green aura formed around Noivern's hands, which then turned into a claw-like shape. Noivern flew towards Salamence and struck the Dragon Pokémon with its attack.

"Incinerate, again!" Called Sawyer.

"Dodge it!" Called Ash, right afterwards.

The two Pokémon flew higher into the air as Salamence launched fireball after fireball at Noivern, but Noivern managed to dodge them all. "Sal-a!" Finally, Salamence launched a fireball that was larger than the others at Noivern.

"Use Boomburst!" Called Ash.

"Noi!" The inside of Noivern's ears glowed white and a ball of white light appeared in front of its ears, then a blast of powerful sound waves came out from the white ball and collided with the fireball in mid-air, causing a large explosion.

"Now, Acrobatics!" Called Ash.

"Oh, no," cried Sawyer. "Even in smoke, Noivern can locate Salamence's position."

Meanwhile, a light-blue blur raced through the smoke towards Salamence.

"Salamence, Protect!" Called Sawyer.

"Sal!" Just as Noivern was about to hit Salamence with Acrobatics, a turquoise force field appeared in front of Salamence, protecting it from Noivern's attack. The smoke from the explosion cleared as both Pokémon were launched backwards.

"All right, Dragon Rush, let's go!" Called Sawyer.

"Use Acrobatics!" Called Ash, right afterwards.

"Saaaaal!" Streams of light blue aura started to form around Salamence's body. Then, those streams grew to cover most of its body, with a black shadowy aura forming inside the light blue one. Salamence flew towards Noivern.

"Vern!" Noivern's body glowed light blue and it quickly zipped through the air towards Salamence.

The two Pokémon collided above the center of the battlefield, causing a large explosion that covered the entire field. Everyone in the audience watched in anticipation to see who had won.

When the smoke cleared, everyone could see Salamence sprawled out on the ground with swirls in its eyes. "Salamence is unable to battle," declared the referee. "Noivern is the winner!"

Ash's friends cheered at Noivern's first victory in an official battle as the scoreboard updated to show Salamence's defeat. "After a collision between Dragon Rush and Acrobatics, Noivern comes out on top in an aerial battle against Salamence," said the announcer.

Sawyer returned Salamence to its Poké Ball. "Thanks for a great battle, Salamence," he said.

"All right, Slurpuff, let's go!" Cried Sawyer as he threw out his third Poké Ball.

"Slurpuff!" Slurpuff appeared on the battlefield, ready to battle.

"Sawyer has chosen Slurpuff as his third Pokémon," said the announcer as Slurpuff appeared on the scoreboard.

"Slurpuff, huh?" Said Ash. " _Noivern's at a disadvantage against Slurpuff, especially because Dragon Claw won't be effective against Slurpuff at all,_ " he thought.

"Noi-vern," said Noivern to Ash. It was letting Ash know that it would be able to do fine against Slurpuff with the attacks that it could use. Ash smiled and nodded at Noivern, letting it know that he was willing to battle with it.

"All right, Noivern, let's start off with Acrobatics!" Called Ash.

"Vern!" Noivern flew up into the air. Then, its body glowed light blue and it quickly zipped through the air towards Slurpuff.

"Counter that with Cotton Guard!" Called Sawyer.

Slurpuff's body glowed a bright white color for a second before multiple white balls of cotton formed around Slurpuff's body. The cotton disappeared in a puff of smoke, raising Slurpuff's defense just as Noivern slammed into it with Acrobatics.

"Noivern, use Supersonic!" Called Ash.

"Noi!" released sound waves from its ears towards Slurpuff, attempting to confuse it.

"Slurpuff, use Fairy Wind!" Called Sawyer.

"Sluuuur-puff!" Slurpuff opened its mouth and launched strong gusts of sparkling wind into the air. The two attacks collided centerfield in an explosion.

"Noivern, follow up with Boomburst!" Called Ash.

"Vern!" The inside of Noivern's ears glowed white and a ball of white light appeared in front of its ears, then a blast of powerful sound waves came out from the white ball and headed towards Slurpuff.

"Use Flamethrower!" Called Sawyer.

"Sluuuur-puff!" Slurpuff blasted a red and orange stream of fire from its mouth towards Noivern. Once again, both attacks collided centerfield in an explosion.

"Quick, Slurpuff, finish it with Dazzling Gleam!" Called Sawyer.

"Slurpuff!" Slurpuff released a bright white light from its body. Then, it jumped into the air as rainbow colored rays of light came out of the white light. The rainbow colored rays shot out and hit Noivern, causing an explosion where it was standing.

When the smoke cleared, Noivern was sprawled out on the ground with swirls in its eyes, meaning that it had fainted. "Noivern is unable to battle," declared the referee. "Slurpuff is the winner!"

"After a direct hit from the super-effective Dazzling Gleam, Noivern is out of the battle," said the announcer as the scoreboard updated to show Noivern's defeat.

Ash returned Noivern to its Poké Ball. "You were awesome," he said. "Take a good rest."

"Pika-Pikachu!" Cried Pikachu, letting Ash know that it wanted to battle next.

"Alright, you're on," said Ash. "Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Pika!" Pikachu ran out onto the battlefield and got ready to face Slurpuff.

"Ash chooses Pikachu as his third Pokémon," said the announcer as Pikachu appeared on the scoreboard.

"So, now it's time for Pikachu," said Sawyer.

"Go for it, Pikachu!" Cheered Bonnie.

"Dedenne!" Cried Bonnie's Dedenne.

"Chespin-Chespin!" Cried Clemont's Chespin as it jumped onto the arm of Bonnie's seat.

"Slurpuff, use Flamethrower!" Called Sawyer.

"Sluuuur-puff!" Slurpuff blasted a red and orange stream of fire from its mouth towards Pikachu.

"Electro Ball, let's go!" Called Ash.

"Pika-pika-chupi!" Pikachu's body became surrounded in yellow electricity and multiple yellow sparks came off Pikachu's body. Then, all the electricity condensed on Pikachu's tail and turned into an orange-yellow orb of electricity with sparks of yellow electricity coming off it. Then, Pikachu jumped into the air and did a front flip, throwing the orb of electricity at Slurpuff in the process.

The two attacks collided centerfield in a large explosion, covering the entire battlefield in smoke.

* * *

 _What will be the next move in Ash and Sawyer's long-awaited battle? How will it be resolved? And who will advance to the finals? More answers to come as the Kalos League journey continues._

* * *

 **A.N.: As you can see, there were some changes that I made to the first half of Ash's battle with Sawyer. First, I allowed Ash's Hawlucha to defeat Sawyer's Slaking. As a result, Sawyer's Salamence was used earlier in the battle to take down Hawlucha. This lead to Ash's Noivern's battle with Salamence to take place earlier. I like the father-son bond that Hawlucha and Noivern had in canon, with Hawlucha coming out to avenge Noivern's battle losses. In this case, I felt it would only be fair for Noivern to avenge Hawlucha. To make Noivern's revenge feel even better, I allowed it to defeat Salamence. Thus, Sawyer brought out his Slurpuff to defeat Noivern. In this battle, instead of Ash using Goodra to take on Slurpuff, Ash uses Pikachu to take on the Fairy-Type Pokémon. How will Pikachu do in its battle against Slurpuff? What Pokémon will Ash's Greninja, Talonflame, and Goodra be used against? And who will win this battle? Find out next time!**


	2. Episode 35 - A Riveting Rivalry!

**Episode 35:** ** _A Riveting Rivalry!_**

 **A.N.: Welcome to part 2 of "Pokémon XY and Z Episodes 34, 35, 37 and 38 Re-Write". This chapter will be based on Episode 35, in which the second half of Ash and Sawyer's full battle occurs. Once again, apologizes if the dialogue seems rather repetitive, but that's just what happens when you write stories about Pokémon battles. Like before, please enjoy the battles and review and favorite if you want. Before we get started though, I'm going to answer some reviews from last chapter:**

 **Bladeknight1226: I don't want to spoil anything yet, so all I'm going to say is that you'll have to read and find out.**

 **1GreninjaWolfBossDeath: Thank you for the compliments. This is my first time writing a Pokémon fanfiction, so knowing that I'm doing well at it is a very good thing.**

 **Guest: You'll just have to read and find out if your predictions will come true.**

 **DISCLAIMER: THE POKEMON GAMES, ANIME, AND THEIR CHARACTERS BELONG TO NINTENDO, GAME FREAK, AND THE POKEMON COMPANY.**

* * *

 _The Kalos League semifinal match between Ash and Sawyer is under way. Will Ash settle an old score and win against his rival? One of them will face Alain in the finals, but which one?_

* * *

Once the smoke had cleared from the battlefield after the collision between Pikachu's Electro Ball and Slurpuff's Flamethrower, Sawyer called his next attack.

"Dazzling Gleam, now!" Called Sawyer.

"Slurpuff!" Slurpuff released a bright white light from its body. Then, it jumped into the air as rainbow colored rays of light came out of the white light. The rainbow colored rays shot out and hit Pikachu, or at least they tried to.

"Pikachu, dodge that and use Thunderbolt!" Called Ash.

"Pika!" Pikachu ran across the field, dodging each rainbow colored ray. Then, Pikachu jumped into the air as yellow sparks appeared around its cheeks. "Pika-Chuuuuuu!" Pikachu released a powerful bolt of yellow electricity from its body at Slurpuff, who could do nothing except take the attack head on.

"Pikachu's fast and strong," said Sawyer to himself. "All right, how about this? Use Fairy Wind!"

"Sluuuur-puff!" Slurpuff opened its mouth and launched strong gusts of sparkling wind into the air.

"Pikachu, brace yourself!" Called Ash.

"Pika!" Pikachu slammed its tail into the ground to keep itself steady as Slurpuff's Fairy Wind hit it.

"Good job, Pikachu! Now, use Electro Ball!" Called Ash.

"Pika-pika-chupi!" Pikachu's body became surrounded in yellow electricity and multiple yellow sparks came off Pikachu's body. Then, all the electricity condensed on Pikachu's tail and turned into an orange-yellow orb of electricity with sparks of yellow electricity coming off it. Then, Pikachu jumped into the air and did a front flip, throwing the orb of electricity at Slurpuff in the process. Pikachu's Electro Ball hit Slurpuff directly, causing an explosion where the Meringue Pokémon was standing.

Ash wasted no time calling the next attack. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack, now!" He called.

"Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika!" Pikachu's body became surrounded by a white outline before Pikachu took off running across the field, a white light trailing behind it.

"All right, Slurpuff, Cotton Guard!" Called Sawyer.

Slurpuff's body glowed a bright white color for a second before multiple white balls of cotton formed around Slurpuff's body. The cotton disappeared in a puff of smoke, raising Slurpuff's defense just as Pikachu slammed into it with Quick Attack.

Ash's friends gasped. "That's just like what happened when Noivern used Acrobatics!" Cried Bonnie.

"Sawyer's been countering as many of Ash's attacks as he can so his Pokémon don't take much damage and are able to defeat Ash's Pokémon in return," explained Clemont.

"Perfect," said Sawyer to himself.

Ash gasped. "Use Thunderbolt!" He called.

"Pika-Chuuuuuu!" Pikachu jumped into the air as yellow sparks appeared around its cheeks. Then, Pikachu released a powerful bolt of yellow electricity from its body at Slurpuff.

"Now, Flamethrower Counter Shield!" Called Sawyer.

"Sluuuur-puff!" Slurpuff spun around on its back while using Flamethrower, creating flame whips that launched outwards, blocking Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

Ash's friends gasped. "What's going on?" Asked Bonnie.

"I had no idea you could use an attack like that to counter another attack!" Cried Clemont.

"Counter shield!?" Cried Ash, in surprise.

"Yep," replied Sawyer. "I learned about it when I saw your opponent's Gastrodon use a Muddy Water Counter Shield against your Staraptor during one of your Sinnoh League Battles. I figured that it was something you had come up with."

"Amazing!" Said Ash, in awe.

"All right, Slurpuff, use Dazzling Gleam!" Called Sawyer.

"Slurpuff!" Slurpuff released a bright white light from its body. Then, it jumped into the air as rainbow colored rays of light came out of the white light. The rainbow colored rays shot out towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu, let's show them our own Counter Shield! Use Thunderbolt!" Called Ash.

"Pika-Chuuuuuu!" Pikachu spun around on its back while using Thunderbolt, creating a barrier than blocked Slurpuff's Dazzling Gleam.

"That was excellent to see," said Sawyer. "Now, use Flamethrower.

"Sluuuur-puff!" Slurpuff blasted a red and orange stream of fire from its mouth towards Pikachu.

"Counter that with Thunderbolt!" Cried Ash.

"Pika-Chuuuuuu!" Pikachu jumped into the air as yellow sparks appeared around its cheeks. Then, Pikachu released a powerful bolt of yellow electricity from its body at Slurpuff. The two attacks collided centerfield in an explosion. Ash and Sawyer had to cover their mouths and noses because of the smoke.

"Pikachu, get in close using Quick Attack!" Called Ash.

"Pika-Pika-Pika-Pika!" Pikachu's body became surrounded by a white outline before Pikachu took off running across the field through the smoke, a white light trailing behind it.

"Now it's our turn. All right, Slurpuff, Fairy Wind!" Called Sawyer.

Before launching its attack, Slurpuff sniffed the smoke to locate Pikachu's position.

"Sluuuur-puff!" Slurpuff opened its mouth and launched strong gusts of sparkling wind into the air. This time, however, Slurpuff's Fairy Wind managed to launch Pikachu high into air.

"Pika!" Cried Pikachu as it was hit by Slurpuff's attack.

"Pikachu!" Cried Ash.

"Slurpuff's sense of smell is beyond incredible," explained Sawyer as Slurpuff put its hands on its waist in pride. "Even in the smoke, it knows where Pikachu is."

Ash laughed. "Then I guess you're getting me back for Noivern," he said.

Sawyer smiled at Ash for a moment before calling his next attack. "Flamethrower!" He called.

"Sluuuur-puff!" Slurpuff blasted a red and orange stream of fire from its mouth towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu dodge that and dive towards Slurpuff, then use Iron Tail!" Called Ash.

"Pika!" Pikachu straightened itself out before tucking its arms against its side. Then, Pikachu spun its body around as it dove past the Flamethrower and towards Slurpuff.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu soon appeared right in front of Slurpuff. Then, its tail glowed white and Pikachu swiped it across Slurpuff's body. The Meringue Pokémon was launched across the field while Pikachu landed safely back in front of Ash.

Slurpuff was sprawled out on the ground with swirls in its eyes, meaning it had fainted. "Slurpuff is unable to battle," declared the referee. "Pikachu is the winner!"

The crowd cheered for Ash and Pikachu as the scoreboard updated to show Slurpuff's defeat. "What an incredible strategy," said the announcer. "Pikachu spun out of the way of that Flamethrower and hit Slurpuff with Iron Tail after being in mid-air. I've never seen that before."

"Yay! Pikachu won!" Cheered Bonnie. Serena sighed in relief.

"That was a classic Ash win," said Clemont.

"Thank you, Slurpuff," said Sawyer as he returned Slurpuff to its Poké Ball. "You were great."

"Come here, buddy," said Ash to Pikachu. "You did it."

"Pika-Pi!" Cried Pikachu as it jumped onto Ash's shoulder.

"Three of Sawyer's Pokémon have been defeated, so it's time to change the battlefield," said the announcer as the badlands battlefield was lowered into the ground below the arena.

"I can't believe you ever would have used a tactic like that in a million years," said Sawyer to Ash. "I wouldn't have."

"Seriously?" Asked Ash. "I actually taught Pikachu and some of my other Pokémon how to do that after seeing one of my friends and her Pokémon try to use that strategy in a Pokémon Contest back in Sinnoh.

"Amazing," said Sawyer. "I don't think I could've done that. Without perfect timing and aim, that never would've worked."

"That's 'cause of you," said Ash to Pikachu. "You're the best."

"Pika-Pika," said Pikachu, thanking Ash for the compliment.

"Wow, that's what it is," said Sawyer to himself in realization. " _Total trust between Ash and Pikachu. That's why Ash is so strong,_ " he thought. "All right, now, why don't you show me more of what you've got?" Asked Sawyer in excitement.

"Sure," replied Ash.

"And now, the battlefield we've prepared for them is…" began the announcer. The field was revealed to be a forest covered in trees with one dirt path down the middle of it. "…a forest!"

This time, the referee was standing in the middle of the field in front of a tree. "Please get your Pokémon ready," he said.

"Pikachu, wanna go in again?" Asked Ash.

"Pika-Pika!" Cried Pikachu, saying that it did indeed want to battle again.

"All right, then, buddy, I choose you!" Said Ash. Pikachu ran out onto the battlefield.

"And Ash chooses to continue battling with Pikachu," said the announcer.

"All right, Aegislash time!" Said Sawyer as he threw out his fourth Poké Ball.

"Aegislash!" Cried Aegislash as it appeared on the battlefield in its Shield Form.

"Sawyer's fourth Pokémon is Aegislash," said the announcer as Aegislash appeared on the scoreboard.

"Aegislash, huh?" Wondered Tierno. "I wonder how Ash is going to get past its King's Shield."

"Let's make it happen, buddy. Start off with Thunderbolt!" Called Ash.

"Pika-Chuuuuuu!" Pikachu jumped into the air as yellow sparks appeared around its cheeks. Then, Pikachu released a powerful bolt of yellow electricity from its body at Aegislash, who took the attack head on. Just then, after the Thunderbolt faded away, Aegislash was covered in static electricity.

"Oh no!" Cried Sawyer. "Aegislash is paralyzed!"

"And Pikachu's Thunderbolt paralyzes Aegislash," said the announcer. "How will Sawyer recover from this disadvantage?"

"Use the forest for cover while Aegislash can't move!" Called Ash.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu took off running across the field before turning right and running into the forest, jumping from tree branch to tree branch.

"Such incredible speed!" Cried the announcer. "Is this what it means to be lightning fast?"

"Now, use Iron Tail from behind!" Called Ash.

"Pika-Chu!" Pikachu jumped off a branch and appeared behind Aegislash. Then, its tail glowed white and Pikachu swiped it across Aegislash's back, sending the Sword Pokémon flying face-forward into the ground.

"Good job, Pikachu," said Ash. "Now, get on back into the forest!" He Called.

"Pikachu!" Once again, Pikachu ran across the field and into the forest, jumping from tree branch to tree branch. This time, Sawyer was prepared, as evidenced by the smirk on his face.

"Aegislash, use Sacred Sword!" Called Sawyer.

"Aegis!" Aegislash changed from Shield Form to Blade Form, then its sword grew bigger and glowed blue.

"Aegislash!" As Pikachu ran through the forest, Aegislash followed it, slashing through every tree with Sacred Sword. Pikachu and Ash both gasped at this.

"Pika," panted Pikachu as it landed in the center of the battlefield before a fallen tree landed in front of it. Meanwhile, Aegislash continued its destruction of the forest, slicing up tree after tree.

"What's going on?" Asked Shauna.

"I'm quite sure," replied Trevor.

"Anything can happen at this point," said Clemont. "Sawyer is serious about winning this. Be careful, Ash. Be careful."

When the dust on the battlefield cleared, everyone could see that most of the trees had been cut down and were scattered all over the battlefield.

"What's that about?" Asked the announcer. "Aegislash has chopped up almost every tree on the battlefield."

"Let's see what you're up to, Sawyer," said Ash.

"Pika," agreed Pikachu.

"Why?" Asked Bonnie. Why would they chop all the trees?"

"Knowing Sawyer, no doubt he's got some kind of plan," replied Tierno.

"Normally someone would do that so it would be easier to see," explained Trevor. "But now?

"All right. Good work, Aegislash," said Sawyer as Aegislash floated in front of him.

"Aegis," replied Aegislash.

"Looks like Sawyer's up to something interesting," said Professor Sycamore to Diantha. "How marvelous."

"So far, he's been planning his tactics very carefully," said Diantha, "which makes me wonder if we'll find out if he's coming up with something to defeat Pikachu soon."

"All right, here they come, Pikachu. Use Iron Tail!" Called Ash.

"Pikaaaaa!" Pikachu jumped into the air. Then, its tail glowed white and Pikachu prepared to slam it into Aegislash.

"King's Shield, go!" Called Sawyer.

"Aegis!" Aegislash changed from Blade Form to Shield Form. Then, a shield of light blue hexagonal shapes appeared in front of Aegislash to protect it from Pikachu's attack.

"Pika!" Pikachu's Iron Tail collided with the shield, causing Pikachu to be launched backwards and land on a tree stump. Suddenly, Pikachu glowed blue as its attack stat fell.

"Pi-Pika?" Pikachu had no idea what had just happened, but Ash did.

"That's right," said Ash. "If we attack them while Aegislash is using King's Shield, Pikachu's attack power gets weaker."

"Pika," cried Pikachu, looking back at Ash in worry.

"So the more we attack, the worse it is for us," said Ash to himself. "What should I do?"

"Ash is in a tough spot, all right," said Tierno.

"His attack options are so limited," agreed Clemont.

"What's he gonna do?" Asked Bonnie, nervously.

"Use Swords Dance!" Called Sawyer.

"Aegis!" Aegislash floated high into the air. Then, twelve blue glowing swords appeared and circled around its body. The swords disappeared and Aegislash glowed red as its attack stat was raised.

"They just used Swords Dance to raise Aegislash's attack power," said Tierno.

"Now, Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Called Ash.

"Pika-pika-chupi!" Pikachu's body became surrounded in yellow electricity and multiple yellow sparks came off Pikachu's body. Then, all the electricity condensed on Pikachu's tail and turned into an orange-yellow orb of electricity with sparks of yellow electricity coming off it. Then, Pikachu jumped into the air and did a front flip, throwing the orb of electricity at Aegislash in the process.

"Dodge it!" Called Sawyer.

"Aegislash!" Aegislash floated out of the way of Pikachu's Electro Ball.

"Hold on," said Tierno. "I get the feeling Sawyer's trying to slow Pikachu down as much as possible."

"What do you mean?" Asked Shauna.

"The chopped trees make Pikachu unsteady. That keeps it from getting a secure foothold, while on the other hand, Aegislash is floating. This also means that Aegislash can dodge all of Pikachu's special attacks and counter all of its physical attacks with King's Shield, and there's nothing Pikachu or Ash can do about it," explained Tierno.

"So, Sawyer's got the advantage," observed Clemont.

"We really need to beat Pikachu," said Sawyer. "That will give us a huge advantage. Use Sacred Sword!" He called.

"Aegis!" Aegislash changed from Shield Form to Blade Form, then its sword grew bigger and glowed blue.

"Dodge it, quick!" Called Ash.

"Pika!" As Aegislash brought its sword down to hit Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon jumped backwards and onto another stump, leaving Aegislash to destroy the one it had previously been on. Pikachu ran across the field, then it jumped into the air towards Aegislash, only to get hit by Sacred Sword and launched into the ground.

"No, Pikachu!" Cried Ash.

When the smoke cleared, Pikachu was sprawled out on the ground with swirls in its eyes, meaning it had fainted. "Pika…" Groaned Pikachu.

"Pikachu is unable to battle," declared the referee as the scoreboard updated to show Pikachu's defeat. "Aegislash is the winner."

"Oh no. Poor Pikachu," said Serena.

"That Swords Dance-Sacred Sword combination was just too much damage for Pikachu to handle," said Clemont.

Ash walked out onto the field and picked up Pikachu in his arms. "Pikachu, you were great. Take a good rest," he said as he walked back to his side of the field.

"Now, who will be Ash's fourth Pokémon?" Asked the announcer.

"Talonflame, I choose you!" said Ash as he threw out his fourth Poké Ball.

"Talonflame!" Talonflame came out of its Poké Ball and started flying above the battlefield before landing in front of Ash.

"Ash's fourth Pokémon is Talonflame," Said the announcer as Talonflame was added to the scoreboard.

"Okay, let's do this," said Ash. "Use Steel Wing!" He called.

"Talon!" Talonflame's wings glowed white before Talonflame flew across the field towards Aegislash.

"All right, use Sacred Sword!" Called Sawyer.

"Aegis!" Aegislash's sword grew bigger and glowed blue. Then, Aegislash raced across the field towards Talonflame. The two attacks collided centerfield in an explosion. Talonflame and Aegislash were launched backwards, but they were both fine.

"Talonflame, use Flame Charge!" Called Ash.

Talon-flaaaaaaame!" Talonflame became surrounded in red flames before flying towards Aegislash.

"King's Sheild, go!" Called Sawyer.

"Aegis!" Aegislash changed from Blade Form to Shield Form. Then, a shield of light blue hexagonal shapes appeared in front of Aegislash to protect it from Talonflame's attack.

"Talon!" Talonflame's Flame Charge collided with the shield, causing Talonflame to be launched backwards through the air. After regaining its composure, Talonflame glowed blue as its attack stat fell.

"Not again!" Cried Bonnie.

"Don't worry, Talonflame," said Ash. "We'll win this thing before the attack drop matters. Use Brave Bird!"

"Talooooon-flaaaaaaame!" Talonflame's body became surrounded in a light blue aura. Then, Talonflame flew across the battlefield towards Aegislash.

"Aegislash, use Night Slash!" Called Sawyer.

"Aegis!" Aegislash changed from Shield Form to Blade Form and its sword glowed light-purple. Then, Aegislash raced across the field towards Talonflame. Once again, the two attacks collided centerfield in an explosion and both Pokémon were launched backwards. Like before, Aegislash looked fine. However, Talonflame suffered from Brave Bird's recoil damage.

"It's the same cycle over and over again," said Clemont.

"Something's gotta give," said Serena. "This can't go on."

Just then, Ash gasped. He had just remembered something. "I've got an idea that I think will work," he said to Talonflame. "I know it's a risk, but we've gotta give it a shot, okay?"

"Talon," said Talonflame, nodding.

"I believe in you, Talonflame," said Ash.

"Ash is up to something for sure," said Sawyer to himself. "I know that expression on his face. I've seen it plenty of times. Okay, Aegislash, heads up."

"Aegis," said Aegislash in acknowledgement.

"Okay, Talonflame, Flame Charge!" Called Ash.

Talon-flaaaaaaame!" Talonflame became surrounded in red flames before flying towards Aegislash.

"What good will that do?" Asked Sawyer. "Use King's Shield!" He called.

"Aegis!" Aegislash changed from Blade Form to Shield Form. Then, a shield of light blue hexagonal shapes appeared in front of Aegislash to protect it from Talonflame's attack.

"Talon!" Talonflame's Flame Charge collided with the shield, but this time, Talonflame pushed against Aegislash's King's Shield as hard as it could.

"Keep going, Talonflame!" Cried Ash. "Don't give up!"

"What's Ash doing?" Asked Serena.

"I don't know," replied Clemont. "If I had to guess, Ash is having Talonflame try to destroy the King's Shield."

Clemont was partially right: Aegislash's King's Shield was eventually destroyed, but at the same time, Talonflame's Flame Charge had worn off.

"Now, Talonflame, finish it with Flamethrower!" Cried Ash.

"Talooooon!" Talonflame opened its mouth and launched a red and orange stream of fire towards Aegislash. Due to how close Talonflame was to Aegislash at the time, Aegislash was consumed by the flames. Eventually, an explosion occurred. Talonflame flew out of it perfectly fine, while Aegislash fell to the ground, unconscious.

When the dust cleared, Aegislash was sprawled out on the ground, with a swirl in its eye, meaning it had fainted. "Aegislash is unable to battle," declared the referee. "Talonflame's the winner."

The audience cheered as the scoreboard was updated to show Aegislash's defeat. "And Talonflame gets the win with a barrage of attacks!" Said the announcer.

"All right!" Cheered Ash.

"Talon!" Added Talonflame.

"Wow, Talonflame and Ash won! Hurray!" Cried Bonnie.

"Now it's three against two," added Shauna.

"I didn't know Ash's Talonflame knew Flamethrower," said Serena.

"Ash must've taught that move to Talonflame during some last-minute training for the league," said Clemont.

"That was a great move by Ash," said Tierno. "Having a super-effective special attack was really the only way to defeat Aegislash."

"Marvelous," said Professor Sycamore, clapping his hands. "Such an intriguing battle between them. One to remember."

"There's such a strong bond of trust between both trainers and their Pokémon," said Diantha.

"Aegislash, take a good rest," said Sawyer as he returned Aegislash to its Poké Ball. " _Now, this is what I expect from a battle with Ash. I'm glad you're back. You're the guy I look up to,_ " thought Sawyer. "Ash, you never fail to surprise me every single time," he said.

"Well, that was close, too close," said Ash. "It's 'cause of Talonflame that we won."

"Talon," said Talonflame, happily.

"So, what Pokémon are you gonna use next, huh?" Asked Ash.

"All right, Clawitzer, you're up next," said Sawyer. "Now, go!" Sawyer threw out his fifth Poke Ball.

"Claw-Clawitzer!" Cried Clawitzer as it appeared on the battlefield.

"Sawyer chooses Clawitzer as his fifth Pokémon," said the announcer as Clawitzer appeared on the scoreboard.

"Clawitzer, it's a Water-Type, battling Talonflame, who's a Fire-Type," observed Clemont.

"He's going by the book," said Trevor.

"Talonflame, use Brave Bird!" Called Ash.

"Talooooon-flaaaaaaame!" Talonflame's body became surrounded in a light blue aura. Then, Talonflame flew across the battlefield towards Clawitzer, who took the attack head on. Talonflame returned to Ash's side of the field before being hurt by recoil.

"Clawitzer, use Aqua Jet!" Called Sawyer.

"Witzer!" Clawitzer became surrounded by a veil of water and soared through the air towards Talonflame.

"Dodge it, quick!" Called Ash.

"Flame!" Talonflame flew through the air with Clawitzer following close behind.

"It's following Talonflame!" Cried Ash.

"Talon!" Talonflame kept flying as Clawitzer shot through the air still using Aqua Jet, which Talonflame managed to dodge.

"I had no idea you could use Aqua Jet like that," said Shauna.

"Sawyer's strategies are out of the box," added Trevor.

"Yeah," agreed Tierno, "kind of reminds me of Ash."

"I've been inspired by your ideas," said Sawyer to Ash, "and trained hard to think in a different way."

"Awesome," exclaimed Ash. "Talonflame, dive in!" He called.

"All right, Clawitzer, use Ice Beam!" Called Sawyer as Clawitzer landed back on the ground.

"Witzer!" Clawitzer formed a light blue ball of energy in front of its large claw. Then, it fired multiple light blue beams from the ball towards Talonflame. The Ice Beam struck part of Talonflame's right wing.

"Use your smoking-hot Flame Charge!" Called Ash.

"Talooooon-flaaaaaaame!" Talonflame became surrounded in red flames before flying towards Clawitzer. As Talonflame kept flying, the fire melted the ice that was on Talonflame's wing.

Bonnie gasped in awe. "Look at the way that Flame Charge melted the ice," said Clemont.

"Yippeee!" Cheered Bonnie.

"Water Pulse, let's go!" Called Sawyer.

"Claaaaw-witzer!" Clawitzer formed a blue sphere of energy in front of its large claw. Then, it fired the sphere at Talonflame. The sphere exploded into a wave of water that crashed over Talonflame. An explosion of steam occurred as fire collided with water.

When the steam cleared, Talonflame was sprawled out on the ground, with swirls in its eyes, meaning it had fainted. "Talon…." Groaned Talonflame.

"Talonflame, no!" Cried Ash.

"Pika," gasped Pikachu.

"Talonflame is unable to battle," declared the referee. "Clawitzer's the winner!"

"And Clawitzer comes out on top in an aerial battle," said the announcer as the scoreboard updated to show Talonflame's defeat.

"Thanks a lot, Talonflame," said Ash as he returned Talonflame to its Poké Ball.

"Talonflame's best known for its speed," said Sawyer to Ash. "If I could make it stop just for a moment, I knew we could win."

"What do you know? The twerp's looking rather twerpish," said Jessie, who was with James and Meowth in the balcony filming the battle.

"The pressure's on," commented James.

"You think he's gonna lose?" Asked Meowth.

"For some strange reason, that stinks," said Jessie.

"It feels like everything is going according to the way Sawyer planned it from the beginning," said Clemont.

"It seems that way," agreed Serena. "Sawyer really has Ash all figured out."

"Yeah," agreed Clemont. "It's like Sawyer's taken everything he's learned from Ash to heart. All his hard work is paying off."

"Know what? Ash isn't going to lose," said Serena, confidently. "Nobody could ever duplicate the Ash we all know."

"Let's see," said Ash to himself. " _Sawyer thinks he knows everything about each of my Pokémon, so I guess now would be a good time to use the one Pokémon that he knows nothing about,_ " thought Ash.

"Goodra, I choose you!" Said Ash as he threw out his fifth Poké Ball.

"Ash chooses Goodra as his fifth Pokémon," said the announcer, as Goodra appeared on the scoreboard.

"I know you haven't battled in a long time, but you'll be awesome," said Ash to Goodra.

"Goo," said Goodra, nodding.

"So, it's Goodra," said Sawyer, "the only one of Ash's Pokémon I've never battled against. I've done no research. But, let's do our best, Clawitzer!"

"Clawitzer!" Said Clawitzer in acknowledgement.

"Use Ice Beam!" Called Sawyer.

"Claaaaaw-Witzer!" Clawitzer formed a light blue ball of energy in front of its large claw. Then, it fired multiple light blue beams from the ball towards Goodra. The attack hit Goodra in the chest and started freezing Goodra's body.

"Goodra, hang in there!" Cried Ash.

"Goooo-dra…" Groaned Goodra.

"They're feeling it," said Sawyer. "There's no doubt Goodra's taking damage."

"Oh, no," cried Bonnie. "I hope Goodra can hang in there.

"We'll have to see," said Trevor.

"Goodra, use Rain Dance!" Called Ash.

"Gooooooooo!" Goodra summoned a dark circular cloud that formed over the battlefield. Then, heavy rain poured down from the cloud. Due to Goodra's ability, Hydration, the rain that came in contact with Goodra's body made the ice from Clawitzer's Ice Beam disappear.

"And Goodra uses Rain Dance to activate its Hydration ability and unfreeze itself," said the announcer.

"Go for it, Goodra!" Cheered Bonnie.

"Hold on," said Clemont. "While Goodra's Rain Dance may have helped it at first, don't forget that Rain Dance will power up Clawitzer's Water-Type moves."

"That shouldn't be a problem, though," replied Tierno. "I've battled against Goodra before and I can say from experience that it is a very tough Pokémon to beat."

"Also, since Goodra is a Dragon-Type, Clawitzer's Water-Type moves won't be very effective," added Trevor.

"Great work, Goodra. Let's show everyone how strong you are. Use Ice Beam!" Called Ash.

"Goooooo-draaaaaa!" Goodra formed a light blue ball of energy in front of its mouth. Then, it fired multiple light blue beams from the ball towards Clawitzer.

"Let's take that Ice Beam and use it for ourselves. Clawitzer, Aqua Jet, go!" Called Sawyer.

"Witzer!" Clawitzer became surrounded by a veil of water and soared through the air towards Goodra. Clawitzer's Aqua Jet hit Goodra's Ice Beam, leading to the Aqua Jet being frozen.

"That's an Ice Aqua Jet!" Gasped Ash.

"How is that even possible?!" Cried Serena.

"I don't know," replied Clemont, "but it's pretty cool to see."

"Where did you come up with that strategy?" Ash asked Sawyer.

"I learned about it after watching your Buizel use that combination during one of your SInnoh League battles," explained Sawyer.

"Wow," exclaimed Ash, in awe.

Clawitzer's Ice Aqua Jet crashed into Goodra's chest, pushing the Dragon Pokémon backwards. Meanwhile, the ice shattered, sending Clawitzer into the air in front of Goodra.

"Goodra, use Dragon Pulse!" Called Ash.

"Goooooo-draaaaaa!" Goodra opened its mouth and fired a multicolored dragon-shaped beam of energy towards Clawitzer.

"Let's counter that with our own Dragon Pulse, Clawitzer!" Called Sawyer.

"Claw-witz-er!" Clawitzer formed a massive ball of multicolored energy in its large claw. Then, it fired a multicolored dragon-shaped beam of energy from its large claw towards Goodra.

The two attacks collided in an explosion, sending both Pokémon flying backwards across the field. When the smoke cleared, both Pokémon looked rather tired.

"Neither of them are backing down in this close battle!" Said the announcer.

"All right, Clawitzer, use Aqua Jet!" Called Sawyer.

"Claw!" Clawitzer became surrounded by a veil of water and soared through the air towards Goodra.

"Use Bide!" Called Ash.

"Goo!" Goodra endured the attack. Then, its entire body became surrounded by a red aura.

"Use Ice Beam!" Called Sawyer.

"Claaaaaw-Witzer!" Clawitzer formed a light blue ball of energy in front of its large claw. Then, it fired multiple light blue beams from the ball towards Goodra. The attack hit Goodra in the chest and started freezing Goodra's body once again.

"Hang in there, Goodra!" Cried Ash. "Keep using Bide!" He called.

"Goo!" The red aura around Goodra's body glowed brighter. Meanwhile, Goodra's Hydration ability allowed Goodra to be unfrozen thanks to the rain.

"We've got to finish this now!" Cried Sawyer. "Take it down with Dragon Pulse, Clawitzer!" He called.

"Claw-witz-er!" Clawitzer formed a massive ball of multicolored energy in its large claw. Then, it fired a multicolored dragon-shaped beam of energy from its large claw towards Goodra. An explosion occurred where Goodra was standing. When the smoke cleared, the red aura around Goodra's body was glowing even brighter.

"Goodra has managed to take an Aqua Jet, an Ice Beam, and a Dragon Pulse and is somehow still standing!" Said the announcer in amazement.

"Goodra, use Bide and finish it off!" Called Ash.

"Goooooo-draaaaaa!" Goodra fired a white beam from its mouth at Clawitzer. The Howitzer Pokémon could do nothing except watch as Goodra's Bide hit it. A large explosion occurred where Clawitzer was standing.

When the smoke cleared, Clawitzer was sprawled out on the ground with swirls in its eyes, meaning it had fainted. "Claaaaaw…" Groaned Clawitzer.

"Clawitzer!" Cried Sawyer.

"Clawitzer is unable to battle," declared the referee. "Goodra's the winner!"

"And Goodra comes out on top in fierce battle of wills!" Said the announcer as the scoreboard updated to show Clawitzer's defeat. Meanwhile, the rain cloud that Goodra had summoned when it used Rain Dance at the beginning of the battle disappeared.

"You were great, Clawitzer," said Sawyer as he returned Clawitzer to its Poké Ball.

"This is a battle I'll never forget," said Trevor.

"I feel like I can barely catch my breath," added Bonnie.

"Now we wait for Sawyer's sixth Pokémon," said the announcer as Sawyer pulled out his last Poké Ball.

"Sceptile, let's go!" Said Sawyer as he threw out his sixth Poké Ball.

"Scep-tile!" Cried Sceptile as it landed on the battlefield.

"Sawyer chooses Sceptile as his last Pokémon," said the announcer as Sceptile was added to the scoreboard.

"Sawyer's using Sceptile!" Cried Bonnie.

"His final Pokémon," added Clemont.

"Goodra's already taken damage, but Greninja hasn't gone yet," observed Trevor.

"And don't forget, Sceptile can Mega Evolve," added Tierno.

"Oh, Ash," whispered Serena to herself, "take care."

"All right, Goodra, use Ice Beam!" Called Ash.

"Goooooo-draaaaaa!" Goodra formed a light blue ball of energy in front of its mouth. Then, it fired multiple light blue beams from the ball towards Sceptile.

"Keep your distance, Sceptile, counter that with Leaf Storm!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceeeeep-tile!" A barrage of green leaves that were surrounded in a green aura appeared around Sceptile's tail. Then, the leaves were launched forward towards Goodra. Goodra's Ice Beam and Sceptile's Leaf Storm collided centerfield in an explosion.

"Goodra, now use Dragon Pulse!" Called Ash.

"Goooooo-draaaaaa!" Goodra opened its mouth and fired a multicolored dragon-shaped beam of energy towards Sceptile.

"Dodge it and use Dragon Claw!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceeeeep-tile!" A light-green aura formed around each of Sceptile's hands and they turned into a claw-like shape. Then, Sceptile jumped into the air and struck Goodra with its claws, pushing the Dragon Pokémon backwards.

"Hang in there, Goodra!" Cried Ash. "Use Ice Beam!" He called.

"Goooooo-draaaaaa!" Goodra formed a light blue ball of energy in front of its mouth. Then, it fired multiple light blue beams from the ball towards Sceptile.

"Dodge it and use Leaf Blade!" Called Sawyer.

"Scep-tile!" Sceptile jumped into the air and the four leaves on its's wrists glowed light green and formed into two. Then, Sceptile sliced Goodra's chest with them.

"Now, use Frenzy Plant!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceeeeep-tiiiiiiile!" Sceptile slammed its hands together and stuck them into the ground, causing giant roots to come out of the ground. The roots raced across the battlefield and managed to lift Goodra up into the air before slamming it into the ground.

"Goodra!" Cried Ash.

When the dust cleared, Goodra was sprawled out on the ground with swirls in its eyes, meaning it had fainted. "Goodra is unable to battle," declared the referee. "Sceptile's the winner."

As the crowd cheered, Ash's friends looked very worried.

"Oh, no. Poor Goodra," said Serena.

"I think Goodra had already taken too much damage from before," said Clemont.

"You were awesome, Goodra. You deserve a good rest," said Ash as he returned Goodra to its Poké Ball.

"And Sceptile defeats Goodra with a combination of speed and power," said the announcer as the scoreboard updated to show Goodra's defeat. "Now, Ash is down to his last Pokémon. This battle has reached its final chapter."

"All right, let's do it. Greninja, I choose you!" Said Ash as he threw out his sixth Poké Ball.

"Greninja!" Cried Greninja as it appeared on the battlefield with its arms crossed.

"Ash chooses Greninja as his final Pokémon," said the announcer as Greninja was added to the scoreboard.

"I've been waiting for Greninja," said Sawyer. "It's finally come to this."

"Hey, sorry we made you wait," replied Ash. "This one will decide it all. Let's both give it everything we've got."

"Right with you, Ash," agreed Sawyer. "We'll leave it all on the field.

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Called Ash.

"Gren-ninja!" Greninja formed two shurikens of water in its hands. Then, it tossed the shurikens at Sceptile.

"Use Dragon Claw!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceeeeep-tile!" A light-green aura formed around each of Sceptile's hands and they turned into a claw-like shape. Then, Sceptile struck the Water Shurikens with its claws, leaving them to explode behind it.

"Double team, let's go!" Called Ash.

"Ja-ja-ja-ja-ja!" Greninja jumped into the air and glowed white for a brief moment as it created multiple copies of itself.

"Use Frenzy Plant!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceeeeep-tiiiiiiile!" Sceptile slammed its hands together and stuck them into the ground, causing giant roots to come out of the ground. The roots raced across the battlefield and struck all of Greninja's copies. Meanwhile, the real Greninja dove through the air, dodging the roots.

"There," said Sawyer as he spotted the real Greninja. "Use Leaf Blade!" He called.

"Scep-tile!" Sceptile ran across the field and the four leaves on its wrists glowed light green and formed into two. Sceptile jumped into the air towards Greninja.

"Use Night Slash!" Called Ash.

"Gren-Ninja!" Greninja created a purple energy sword in the palm of one of its hands. Then, it grabbed the sword with its other hand. Greninja and Sceptile collided centerfield with Night Slash and Leaf Blade, each trying to push the other back. Eventually, both Pokémon were launched backwards from the force of the collision.

"I can hardly catch my breath watching this," said the announcer. "It seems the entire whole arena feels the same way."

"Incredible," said Serena, in awe. "I guess Greninja must've learned Night Slash during some last-minute training as well.

" _Ash… I've been trying to catch up to you this whole time,_ " thought Sawyer. " _At first, it seemed so impossible, so insurmountable… but if I can beat you today, I think I can truly reach the next level. That's why I wanted to battle the real Ash, and he came back just like he promised. Looks like our unfinished battle will end right here._ "

" _Sawyer, I'm sorry,_ " thought Ash. " _I panicked. I was scared… scared of you, because you were coming up on me so fast. And then, suddenly, you surpassed me. But thanks to you, I was able to rediscover myself. I'll show you what we're really made of._ "

"Here goes, Greninja," said Ash as Greninja began transforming into Ash-Greninja. "Full power!"

"Greninja!" Cried Greninja as it was surrounded by a veil of water which eventually formed into a giant shuriken made of water on its back, thus completing the transformation into Ash-Greninja.

"There it is," said the announcer, "that mysterious Greninja." The crowd cheered and applauded as loud as it could at this.

"Yay!" Cheered Bonnie. "Go, Ash-Greninja!"

"We're ready, Sceptile," said Sawyer as he grabbed hold of the Key Stone that was attached to the end of his notebook. "We've got tons of experience."

"Sceptile!" Cried Sceptile as its Sceptilite and Sawyer's Key Stone reacted to each other, allowing Sceptile to begin Mega Evolving.

"Mega Evolve!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceptile!" Cried Mega Sceptile once the transformation was complete.

"Sceptile has Mega Evolved into Mega Sceptile!" Said the announcer.

"Frenzy Plant, go!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceeeeep-tiiiiiiile!" Mega Sceptile slammed its hands together and stuck them into the ground, causing giant roots to come out of the ground. The roots raced across the battlefield towards Ash-Greninja.

"Dodge it!" Called Ash.

"Ja!" Ash-Greninja jumped into the air just as the roots slammed into the spot where it had been standing.

"Use Night Slash!" Called Ash.

"Ninja!" Ash-Greninja created a purple energy sword in the palm of one of its hands. Then, it grabbed the sword with its other hand and sliced through the Frenzy Plant.

"Now, Water Shuriken!" Called Ash.

"Ninja!" Ash-Greninja grabbed the shuriken on its back and threw it at Mega Sceptile.

"Dragon Claw!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceeeeep-tile!" A light-green aura formed around each of Mega Sceptile's hands and they turned into a claw-like shape. Then, Mega Sceptile struck the Water Shuriken with its claws, causing it to explode in front of it.

"Now, Aerial Ace!" Called Ash.

"Gren-Ja!" Ash-Greninja ran across the field towards Mega Sceptile. Then, its hand glowed blue and it delivered an uppercut to Mega Sceptile's jaw before jumping into the air and slamming its fist down on Mega Sceptile's head.

"Leaf Storm, let's go!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceeeeep-tile!" The stinger on the end of Mega Sceptile's tail became surrounded with leaves. Then, Mega Sceptile fired it at Ash-Greninja, pushing the Ninja Pokémon backwards through the air before it landed safely on the ground.

"Use Leaf Blade!" Called Sawyer.

"Scep-tile!" The four leaves on Mega Sceptile's wrists glowed light green and formed into two. Then, Mega Sceptile ran across the field towards Ash-Greninja.

"Night Slash, let's go!" Called Ash.

"Gren-Ninja!" This time, Ash-Greninja created a purple energy sword in both of its hands. Then, it ran across the field towards Mega Sceptile. Ash-Greninja and Mega Sceptile clashed with Night Slash and Leaf Blade again, this time with Ash-Greninja using two swords and Mega Sceptile using two blades. The swords and blades clashed multiple times, with neither side gaining an advantage. Eventually, the two Pokémon separated and jumped back to their respective sides of the field.

"Quick, use Leaf Storm!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceeeeep-tile!" Mega Sceptile jumped into the air and the stinger on the end of its tail became surrounded with leaves. Then, Mega Sceptile fired it at Ash-Greninja, pushing the Ninja Pokémon backwards through the air. Ash clutched his chest, feeling the same pain that Ash-Greninja felt. Eventually, the Leaf Storm exploded and Ash-Greninja fell out of the sky.

"Not yet," groaned Ash. "Use Water Shuriken!" He called.

"Ninja!" Ash-Greninja grabbed the shuriken on its back and threw it at Mega Sceptile.

"Let's wrap this up," said Sawyer. "Dodge it and use Frenzy Plant!" He called.

"Tile!" Mega Sceptile jumped into the air to dodge Ash-Greninja's Water Shuriken. "Sceeeeep-tiiiiiiile!" Then, Mega Sceptile slammed its hands together and stuck them into the ground, causing giant roots to come out of the ground. The roots raced across the battlefield towards Ash-Greninja.

Ash-Greninja ran along the roots towards Mega Sceptile. "Use Night Slash!" Called Ash.

"Gren-Ninja!" Ash-Greninja created a purple energy sword in the palm of one of its hands. Then, it grabbed the sword with its other hand and started slicing through the roots of the Frenzy Plant.

"Ash-Greninja keeps getting pushed back. It can't seem to close the gap between the two of them," said Shauna.

"How do you handle the power of Frenzy Plant?" Asked Tierno.

"Yeah," agreed Trevor as Ash-Greninja was briefly show dodging more roots.

"What now?" Asked Bonnie. "Is Ash gonna lose?"

"Don't worry," said Serena. "Ash is one with Greninja right now and they won't give up until they've given it all they've got."

"Ash's power is the power of two becoming one," explained Clemont as Ash-Greninja dodged the roots that were coming towards it, with Ash mimicking its movements. "As long as Ash becomes one with Greninja, and as long as Greninja becomes one with Ash, they'll be always stronger for it."

"Use Night Slash!" Called Ash.

"Ninja!" Ash-Greninja created a purple energy sword in the palm of one of its hands. Then, it grabbed the sword with its other hand and sliced through the roots of the Frenzy Plant, finally destroying it.

"Marvelous," said Professor Sycamore. "Ash has truly become one with his Greninja."

"Yes," agreed Diantha.

Just then, the shuriken on Ash-Greninja's back grew even larger to signify just how deep its bond with Ash was.

"Go!" Cried Ash as Ash-Greninja jumped into the air. "Greninja, use Aerial Ace!" He called.

"Ninja!" Ash-Greninja's hands and feet glowed blue as it descended through the air towards Mega Sceptile.

"Counter that with Leaf Blade!" Called Sawyer.

"Scep-tile!" The four leaves on Mega Sceptile's wrists glowed light green and formed into two. Then, Mega Sceptile clashed its Leaf Blade with Ash-Greninja's Aerial Ace multiple times.

"Now, use Dragon Claw!" Called Sawyer.

"Sceeeeep-tile!" A light-green aura formed around each of Mega Sceptile's hands and they turned into a claw-like shape. Then, Mega Sceptile attempted to strike Ash-Greninja with its claws, but Ash-Greninja dodged the attack by leaping high into the air.

"Now, Greninja, Double Team. Let's go!" Called Ash.

"Ja-ja-ja-ja-ja!" Ash-Greninja's body glowed white for a brief moment and it created many copies of itself.

"Get ready for this, Sawyer," said Ash. "This is everything Greninja and I have got. Water Shuriken!" He called.

"Greninja!" The Double Team copies disappeared and Ash-Greninja grabbed the shuriken on its back. The shuriken grew to a massive size.

"Sceptile, use Leaf Storm!" Called Sawyer, who was clearly panicking now.

"Tiiiiiiiiile!" Mega Sceptile turned around and the stinger on the end of its tail became surrounded with leaves. Then, Mega Sceptile fired it at Ash-Greninja, who threw its Water Shuriken at Mega Sceptile.

The two attacks collided with their intended opponents, creating an explosion the covered the battlefield in dust and smoke for a few moments. Everyone in the audience watched in anticipation to see who would come out on top: Ash's friends, Malva and Team Rocket, and Professor Sycamore and Diantha.

Finally, the dust and smoke cleared and Mega Sceptile was sprawled out on the ground with swirls in its eyes, meaning it had fainted. "Sceeeep…" Groaned Mega Sceptile as it reverted to its non-Mega Evolved form. "Sceptile is unable to battle," declared the referee. "Greninja wins. The match goes to Ash."

The crowd cheered for Ash's victory as Ash-Greninja landed in front of Ash. "That's that," said the announcer as the scoreboard updated to show Sceptile's defeat and Ash's victory against Sawyer. "It's decided. Ash will be moving on to the finals!"

"Ash did it," said Serena.

"All right, Ash won!" Cheered Bonnie.

"Way to go, Ash," said Clemont.

"Congratulations, Ash," said Shauna.

"Ash is awesome," cried Tierno.

"What a win," cried Trevor.

"Everybody was so great in that battle," said Bonnie. Serena nodded in agreement.

"Incredible," said Clemont. "That was a Pokémon battle."

"Let's give another big round of applause for this stupendous battle," said the announcer. The audience cheered and applauded again as Greninja returned to its regular form, both it and Ash sitting down, exhausted from the battle.

"We really did it, Greninja," said Ash.

"Wow, the twerp pulled it off," said Jessie.

"We know what that means," said James.

"He could win the whole enchilada," added Meowth.

"Incredible," said Professor Sycamore, clapping his hands. "That was truly an indescribable match.

"The future is bright for those two trainers," said Diantha. "It'd make me very happy if there were more trainers just like them in the world."

"Yeah," said Professor Sycamore. "I agree completely."

Meanwhile, in the stands, Alain smiled as he walked away, knowing that he would get to battle Ash in the finals.

Sawyer and Ash walked out onto the center of the battlefield. "I experienced everything you had to give," said Sawyer. "It reminded me once again why I admire you so much."

"It was great for sure," replied Ash. "You had me so super psyched. I was having a ball."

"Thanks for the kind words," replied Sawyer. "I'm gonna keep training, battling and gaining lots of experience. And one day, I'm gonna be even better than you."

"And don't you forget, I'm gonna work harder and get stronger, too," said Ash. "I'll never give up. We'll battle again, right?" He asked, extending his hand out.

"Battle again?" Asked Sawyer, in surprise. "Right," he said, and the two friends shook hands.

* * *

 _The fierce and highly competitive match between Ash and Sawyer has come to an end. Of course, both trainers will continue to gain more experience and strength along with the promise to battle again one day. But for now, the finals are up next with Alain as our hero's opponent as the journey continues._

* * *

 **A.N.: And that's it. Ash and Sawyer's battle has come to an end with Ash as the winner. I hope you all enjoyed the battle. I decided to bring back some old strategies from the Diamond and Pearl series, such as the Counter shield technique and Ice Aqua Jet. Also, Ash's Talonflame and Greninja have learned some new moves: Flamethrower and Night Slash, respectively. I never liked how Talonflame never learned Flamethrower and was stuck with Razor Wind even after being fully evolved. Meanwhile, I was hesitant to change Cut to Night Slash, but I eventually realized that a lot of people would probably want that change to be made, so I did it. In terms of the battle, Ash's Pikachu managed to defeat Slurpuff, so Sawyer brought out Aegislash next. Unlike in canon, Pikachu actually lost to Aegislash since I don't think Pikachu is strong enough to take a Swords Dance-boosted Sacred Sword and survive. As a result, Ash brought in Talonflame next and defeated Aegislash with its newly-learned Flamethrower. I still wish that Ash had used Talonflame against Aegislash in canon, which is why I had that match-up here. Next, Sawyer's Clawitzer defeats Talonflame like in canon before losing to Goodra. Thus, Sawyer brings in Sceptile to defeat Goodra afterwards. Finally, Ash-Greninja takes on Mega Sceptile and wins in one of the most exciting battles I've ever seen. With Ash moving on to the finals, how will he do against Alain? Will Ash be able to beat Alain or will history repeat itself with Alain as the victor? Find out next time!**


End file.
